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MULTIMEDIA

Arcam irDAC - The Latest Little Black Box (Part 2)

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11/18/2013 9:58:21 AM

Sound quality

In the time honored fashion of many Arcam products the irDAC is not an especially showy performer. It is impressively smooth and refined and has a tonal balance that should complement a wide variety of different music. The Cinematic Orchestra’s To Build a Home is wonderfully natural with Patrick Watson’s vocals given a crispness and definition that lends the performance a realism and presence that is hard not to like. The soundstage is a solid and believable construction that places the performers in a way that gives them a convincing relationship to one another.

Description: Digital to analogue converter

Digital to analogue converter

Where the irDAC differs from some older Arcam products is that there is a sense of excitement that wasn’t always present before. Its sound isn’t wearing or frenetic – it never makes the Cinematic Orchestra sound anything other than as smooth – but ask it to pick up the pace and it does so with a confidence that was not present before. This gives the irDAC an assurance with certain genres that vastly aids the appeal.

Listening to the eponymously titled debut album by The Music, a jarring and occasionally harsh joyride of rhythm and drive, the Arcam just grips and goes. There is a sense of life and entertainment to the irDAC that hasn’t been evident in some of the safer-sounding Arcam products of old. At the same time, the irDAC flatters the recording but does it so artfully that you really only notice when you listen to the same album through something less forgiving.

This fleetness of foot does seem to be at the expense of a tiny bit of bass depth and the Arcam is not the most seismic of performers in the category, but the bass response it does have is detailed, clean and has the same tonal realism as the upper registers do. There are other DAC’s at the price that can dig a little deeper though, and in a system with limited bass extension this may be noticeable. The irDAC also manages to be extremely consistent in performance across all the rear panel inputs and the irDAC gives a perceptive performance boost to all sources.

The Arcam also proves to be equally adept with compressed material and 256kbps MP3 files on an iPhone and Spotify via a laptop sound perfectly enjoyable and the irDAC avoids revealing the limitations of these smaller files.

At the other end of the scale, high resolution files played via a laptop into USB or via a Naima ND5XS streamer via coaxial retain their wonderful weight and realism. Antonio Forcione and Sabrina Scuibba’s Take Fiveis fantastically immediate with exceptional detail retrieval. Even if the idea of installing the USB driver doesn’t appeal and you don’t mind being limited to 24/96, the Arcam still sounds impressively real with the high-res version of Muse’s The 2nd Law.

Description: The Arcam still sounds impressively real with the high-res version of Muse’s The 2nd Law.

The Arcam still sounds impressively real with the high-res version of Muse’s The 2nd Law.

Conclusion

The irDAC is certainly an ambitious undertaking, but Arcam has managed to pull it off with considerable finesse. This is an exceptionally well specified digital-to-analogue convertor for the $638.20 asking price and – most importantly of all – the irDAC backs the spec up with a performance that combines everything that is likeable about Arcam with a drive and sense of fun that raises the bar even higher. If you are looking for a line-level DAC under $797.75, you can call off the search – Arcam has built all the DAC you’re ever likely to need.

Description: The irDAC is certainly an ambitious undertaking, but Arcam has managed to pull it off with considerable finesse.

The irDAC is certainly an ambitious undertaking, but Arcam has managed to pull it off with considerable finesse.

Verdict

·         Sound quality: 5/5

·         Value for money: 5/5

·         Build quality: 4.5/5

·         Ease of drive: 4.5/5

·         Like: Excellent spec, solid build, lively and refined sound

·         Dislike: Slight lack of bass depth

·         We say: A superbly accomplished and beautifully realized DAC that should appeal to a wide variety of users

·         Overall: 5/5

Technical specs

·         Product: Arcam irDAC

·         Origin: UK/China

·         Type: Digital to analogue converter

·         Weight: 0.7kg

·         Dimensions (W x H x D) : 190 x 120 x 44mm

·         Features : Burr Brown PCM1796 DAC; 24/192kHz capable across all inputs; Two coaxial, two optical and one USB input; IR remote control

·         Distributor: Arcam

 

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